20 years ago: City Councilman Jim Putnam continued to advocate for a vote to increase the number of council districts from five to nine.

Putnam, who represents northwest Huntsville's District 5, introduced a resolution to set a public hearing to consider adopting a nine single-member district plan that was adopted as an alternate plan in December 1991.

"The state legislation that allows us to expand the number of council districts says we must do it before the 1996 elections," Putnam said. "It's a continuing issue. I want people to take a position one way or the other."

In January, a divided council took no vote on the issue and didn't set a date for a second public hearing. The four council members present at the public hearing listened as about 10 residents urged them to go forward under the provisions of the new law. None of the 40 or so residents who showed up spoke against additional districts.

5 years ago: Ray Guy, the former Southern Miss and NFL punter, spoke to a group of Southern Miss alumni in Huntsville. Guy had been a finalist on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot but was not selected that year.

"You know, my reaction is, yeah, I want to be in there. Every kid's dream is to make the Hall of Fame. I would love to be the first (punter). But my whole pet peeve is that how in the name of God can you sit there and say a punter is not a part of the team?" Guy said before a speech to the North Alabama Southern Mississippi Alumni Association, part of his role as special projects manager spearheading USM's 100th anniversary celebration

(Footnote: Guy was eventually announced as a Hall of Famer in February 2014 and will be enshrined this Saturday in Canton, Ohio, along with Huntsville resident Walter Jones and others.)